Where others saw a mistake from the group and said the ad cast all Gillespie supporters and Republicans as racist, Latino Victory Fund says the outrage just boiled down to crocodile tears from bullies that were finally hit back, echoing what Democratic Party chair Tom Perez said on “Meet The Press.” Officials for the group said they were preparing an op-ed before the Virginia election results were known for later this week that would have laid out this strategy regardless of who won the race, BuzzFeed News learned.

“Our ad was an honest reflection of the fears facing communities of color in Virginia and across the country. It was designed to raise Latino voters’ awareness of Gillespie’s bigoted campaign tactics, and it accomplished that goal,” said Cristóbal J. Alex, Latino Victory Fund president. “Faced with vicious, racist attacks, we usually turn the other cheek or point our finger at the bully. This time we threw a jab to the throat and we will continue raising our voices wherever and whenever racism rears its head.”